Andrew E. Tuck III was a First Lieutenant of F-Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He graduated from LaSalle Military School , after spending time at Plattsburg, New York, between his junior and senior years of high school. He graduated wearing his school uniform, which was a copy of the West Point uniform and then immediately after the ceremony changed into his United States officer’s uniform. He became an Second Lieutenant at that time.
Tuck was with the 506th PIR from the time it was activated. He was stationed at Camp Croft, South Carolina, Camp Toccoa, Georgia, Fort Benning, Georgia, (he is on the F Company list of 1942 as Second Lieutenant Andrew E. Tuck), Camp Mackall, North Carolina, and then overseas to England.
On D-Day Tuck jumped as a First Lieutenant (he was jumpmaster of Stick 74 -1st Platoon/1st Squad flown by pilot Ernest Turner of the 439th Troop Carrier Group / 94th Squadron) and landed near the school on the S/W-edge of the Ste Mere Eglise townsquare. He was captured (chute caught on a chimney) but escaped from the Germans.
Market Garden: Tuck jumped just outside Zon. In the same Regiment a young Second Lieutenant made his first combat jump with F Company, 506th PIR. His name was Robert E. Perdue. In the Currahee Scrapbook, Lieuteannt Andrew E. Tuck III in the 2nd Battalion photo, the 4th man on the 4th row. In this same group you will find Major Richard D. Winters and Colonel Strayer. Men made famous by the TV-series ‘Band of Brothers.’ Andrew E. Tuck was a ‘Toccoa man’, one of the Currahee’s who made it all the way through the war. But he didn’t make it home.
Bob Perdue (Robert E. Perdue) was given the letters that Loeutenant Tuck had been sending home during World War II, from 1941 way up to 1945. Though under the Army censors, they paint a picture of a Paratroopers life. A unique chance for us all to read and learn what happened in the life of a young soldier, about to embark upon a journey that would take him to country’s he had never expected to visit. A story with a tragic end.
Born in New York City, Lieutenant Tuck had resided in Larchmont all his life, attending Mamaroneck High School and Rye Country Day School before graduating from LaSalle military academy, Oakdale, Long Island. The summer preceding his graduation he worked for his commission under the R.O.T.C. at Plattsburgh, New York.
Lieutenant Tuck entered the service in August 1942, receiving parachute training at Tacao [sic], Georgia, and Fort Benning, Georgia, where he did test jumping and was awarded his wings and boots.
Overseas since August 1943, Lieutenant Tuck was a veteran of parachute jumps in Normandy, Holland and Belgium and was promoted to First Lieutenant while stationed in England, where he received further training as well as in Scotland. He held the expert infantryman’s badge.
Lieutenant Tuck, who served as commander of his company, was slightly wounded at Bastogne, where his regiment, the 506th Parachute Infantry, played a major role, and received the Purple Heart. His regiment also played an important part in the success of the Normandy and Holland campaigns, and participated in the fall of Carentan and the liberation of Eindhoven. The 101st airborne is a historic group whose
acting division commander, General Anthony C. McAuliffe answered “Nuts” when the Germans demanded surrender shortly after the start of the Battle of the Bulge when the 101st was completely sealed from outside help.
In addition to his parents, the young lieutenant is survived by two sisters, Colleen, who resides with her parents, and Mrs. Lorna Colbert of 12 Chatsworth Avenue, Larchmont.
Major Tuck is a trustee of the Village of Larchmont.
Mrs. Tuck recently retired after serving the woman’s club Larchmont for two years as program chairman.
- TUCK, ANDREW E III
- 1ST LT AGF 506 PARA INF 101 AIR BORNE DIV CO F INF
- DATE OF BIRTH: 11/17/1922
- DATE OF DEATH: 07/07/1945
- BURIED AT: SECTION 30 SITE 986-C
- ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.
Reviewed by: Michael Howard